The Argosy — page 141: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

126 Caramel Cottage. There, it came again! What could it be? People did not dig up gardens at midnight. Slipping out of bed, she drew the blind aside and peeped out. The night was light as day, with a bright, clear, beautiful moon : the hunters’ moon. Underneath the summer-apple-tree, close at this end of the garden, bent Mr. Barbary, digging away with all his might, his large iron spade turning up the earth swiftly and silently. Katrine’s eyes grew wide with amazement. He had dug up that same plot of ground only a few days ago, in readiness to plant winter greens: she and Edgar Reste had stood looking on for a time, talking with him as to the sort of greens he meant to put in. Why was he digging up the ~ same ground again ?>—and why was he doing it at this unearthly hour? It appeared to be a hole that was being dug now, for he threw the spadefuls of mould up on each side pretty far. ‘The ground seemed. quite soft and phant ; owing perhaps to its having been so recently turned. As the hole grew larger ; wider and longer and deeper ; an idea flashed over Katrine that it looked just as though it were meant fora grave. Not that she thought it. Putting a warm shawl on her shoulders and slippers on her feet, she sat down before the window, drew the blind up an inch or two, and kept looking out, her curiosity greatly excited. The moon shone steadily, the time passed, and the hole grew yet larger. Suddenly Mr. Barbary paused in his work, and held up his head as if to listen. Did he fear, or fancy, a noise in the field pathway outside, or in the dark grove to the right near Caramel’s Farm? Apparently so: and that he must not be seen at his work. For he got out of the hole, left the spade in it, came with noiseless, swift, stealthy movement up the yard and concealed himself in the dark tool-shed. Presently, he stole across to the little gate, looked well about him to the nght and left, and then resumed his digging. Quite six feet long it soon looked to Katrine, and three or more feet wide, and how deep she knew not.- Was zt for a grave? The apprehension really stole across her, and with a sick faintness. If so, if so—? A welcome ray of possibility dawned then. Had her father (warned by this stir that was going on, the search for poachers and their spoil) a lot of contraband game in his sire _ that must be hidden away out of sight? Perhaps so. It seemed to be finished now. The moon had sailed ever so per across the sky by this time, but was still shining full upon it. Mr. Barbary crept again to the gate and stood listening and looking up and down in the silence of the night. Then he crossed to the brew- house, took the key from his pocket, unlocked it and went inside. _ Katrine could see the flash of the match as he struck a light. When he emerged from the brewhouse he was dragging a weight along the ground with two strong cords. A huge, unshapely, heavy substance enveloped in what looked like matting or sacking. Dragging it straight over the yard to the grave, Mr. Barbary let it fall carefully CORNICLIOOKS 5